Violence against children in conflict zones reached “unprecedented levels” in 2024, with most of the violations committed in Gaza, occupied the West Bank, said the UN.
The United Nations kept Israel on his “black list” of countries committing abuse against children in armed conflict for a second consecutive year, while his war against Gaza continues for almost 20 months.
Thursday’s registration came as the UN declared in a new report that violence against children in conflict zones reached “unprecedented levels” in 2024, with the greatest number of violations committed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank occupied by the Israeli army.
The annual report on children in armed conflicts detailed “an amazing” of 25% in the world in violation of serious violations against children under 18 last year from 2023. He said that he had verified 41,370 serious violations against children, including death and mutilation, sexual violence and attacks against schools and hospitals.
Among them were 8,554 serious violations against 2,959 children – 2,944 Palestinians, 15 Israelis – in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel.
The figure includes the confirmation of 1,259 Palestinian children killed and 941 injured in Gaza, which was the subject of implacable Israeli bombing following an attack led by the Palestinian group of Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The Gaza Ministry of Health has reported much higher figures and the UN said it currently verified information on 4,470 additional children killed in 2024 in the besieged territory.
The UN said that it had also checked the murder of 97 Palestinian children in occupied West Bank, including the occupied East Jerusalem, where 3,688 violations were recorded.
The report also called Israeli military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured last year.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was “dismayed by the intensity of serious violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel”, citing the generalized use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Guterres also reiterated his calls to Israel to respect international law requiring special protections for children, the protection of schools and hospitals and respect for the requirement that makes the distinction between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive damage for innocent people.
There was no immediate commentary on the United Nations Mission of Israel.
The army wing of the Palestinian group of Hamas, Qassam brigades and al-Quds brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian group of Islamic jihad, were also included in the black list for the second time.
According to the Palestinian territory, the countries where the UN recorded the most violence against children in 2024 were the Democratic Republic of Congo (more than 4,000 serious violations); Somalia (over 2,500); Nigeria (almost 2,500); and Haiti (more than 2,200).
The highest percentage increase in the number of violations was recorded in Lebanon (545%), followed by Mozambique (525%), Haiti (490%), Ethiopia (235%) and Ukraine (105%), he added.
